Pear Gingerbread Crepes (vegan, gluten free, low fat)

I love crepes, which is weird because I HATED them for years... But last summer my husband and I took a trip to Montreal and foun...

I love crepes, which is weird because I HATED them for years...

But last summer my husband and I took a trip to Montreal and found
ourselves in Jean Tallon market -- a year round farmer's market and
gourmet food complex. If you have never been and have the chance, go.
Its one of my favourite markets in the world, and I have visited many. We had some crepes there that I will never forget.

Montreal
is a tricky city to navigate as a gluten free vegan -- but then again,
what city isn't? When my husband and I travel we opt for renting Air
BNBs with kitchens or kitchenettes to ensure we have the option to cook.
Though we both love to eat out from time to time, a week of that gets
old fast. Our trip to Montreal this summer was no different -- we stayed in a
charming downtown apartment with a nice kitchen and kitchen table setup.
We cooked most of our meals and took advantage of seasonal local
produce from markets like Marche Jean Tallon. We ate out too, but most things
were cooked at home. We've been back recently -- two weeks ago. Every time I go to the market I head straight for
the crepe stand. After searching "gluten free vegan Montreal" on Google, many things
came up. Restaurants like Aux Vivres at the top of the list. We never
ended up eating there because pretty much everything on the menu
contained something I am allergic to. I find that I have a harder time
eating in vegan restaurants like Fresh and Aux Vivres than I do in
"normal" restaurants or even steak houses! Most of the vegan menu items
at these places are either not gluten free or contain soy or nuts, leaving me
with few to no options that meet both restrictions. The kitchens use such a large amount of the ingredients that I am allergic to that I am nervous to eat there. So, when I found out
that Creperie Du Marche in Jean Tallon offered vegan and gluten free
crepes I knew I needed to stop by. I'm so glad I did!

The
crepes at the market come sweet and savoury and are absolutely perfect.
I opted for a sweet apple crepe with maple butter. It is still one of
my most memorable meals out.

For my 30th birthday last week, my husband
and sister surprised me with a trip to Montreal. We pretty much went
straight to the market for a crepe on day one, and probably will again the next
time we're back in town.This weekend my husband and I
entertained my parents at our home -- which rarely happens. We fed them dinner and
dessert -- including these holiday cookies and a pear and gingerbread
galette. The galette was totally delicious but wasn't photo friendly -- a bit on the messy-looking
side, so I decided to start my day today with a pretty crepe inspired by the
galette.

These crepes are totally seasonal, way healthier than your standard pancake, and totally delicious. They're
vegan, wholegrain, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free and low fat. The batter is
seasoned with gingerbread flavours (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla)
and sweetened gently with low glycemic dark brown coconut sugar and a little maple syrup. I cooked the crepes
in a touch of buttery coconut oil (the fat that burns fat), topped them with thin slices of ripe bosc
pears and a sprinkle of coconut sugar so the fruit caramelized a little.
Served fruit side up with a drizzle of maple syrup, these Pear
Gingerbread Crepes scream CHRISTMAS. Give them a try this week for a
healthier holiday pancake breakfast.

Slice the pears thinly if using. MAKE THE BATTER: Blend all ingredients (except pear slices!) together in a blender.
Heat a 1/2 tsp coconut oil in a non stick frying pan on high heat. Prepare crepes one at a time. Pour some batter into center of the hot pan, tilting the pan around gently to spread the batter thinly out to all sides of the pan. Once you notice a couple of tiny bubbles forming on the surface of the crepe, add the pear
slices evenly over the top of each crepe. After several bubbles form on the top of the crepe and the edges look golden brown, carefully loosen the crepe from the bottom of the pan with a spatula and gently flip it over. Press down into the pan gently with the spatula. After a
minute or so, flip the crepe again and sprinkle a little coconut sugar on top of the
pear slices. Once the sugar melts, transfer to a plate. Serve immediately with
maple syrup drizzled on top. Add a little more coconut oil to the pan before making each crepe.